Chick Pea

Cicer arietinum

Physical Characteristics

Cicer arietinum is a ANNUAL growing to 0.6 m (2ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9 and is not frost tender. It is in flower from June to July, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). It can fix Nitrogen. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought.

Distribution

Asia? Original habitat is obscure.

Habitats

Cultivated Beds;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves Seed Seedpod Shoots Edible Uses: Coffee Drink Seed - raw or cooked. The fresh or dried seed is cooked in soups, stews etc[2, 37, 100, 142, 171, 183]. It has a somewhat sweet flavour and a floury texture somewhat reminiscent of sweet chestnuts[K]. The mature seed can also be sprouted and eaten raw[K]. Parched seeds can be eaten as a snack[183]. The seed can also be ground into a meal and used with cereal flours for making bread, cakes etc[46, 105, 183]. The seed is a good source of carbohydrates and protein. The roasted seed is a coffee substitute[27, 46, 61, 105, 183]. The roasted root can also be used[183]. Both the young seedpods and the young shoots are said to be edible[57, 61, 142, 171, 177, 183] but some caution is advised. See the notes above on toxicity. A refreshing drink can be made from the acid dew that collects on the hairy seedpods overnight[183].

Medicinal Uses

Astringent An acid exudation from the seedpods is astringent[240]. It has been used in the treatment of dyspepsia, constipation and snakebite[240].

Known Hazards

The foliage and seedpods contain oxalic acid and can irritate the skin[33, 74, 200]. There is also one report that the foliage is poisonous[171] - this might relate to the oxalic acid. Oxalic acid can lock up certain nutrients in the diet, especially calcium, and therefore heavy use of foods that contain this substance can lead to nutritional deficiencies. Cooking will greatly reduce the oxalic acid content. People with a tendency to rheumatism, arthritis, gout, kidney stones or hyperacidity should take especial caution if including this plant in their diet since the oxalic acid can aggravate their condition[238].